§1903 Annual Board of Visitors

Summary

Creates a Board of Visitors for the Coast Guard Academy to review how the Academy is run and make recommendations. The Board includes the chair (or a designee) of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and the chair (or a designee) of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; 3 Senators appointed by the Vice President; 4 Representatives appointed by the Speaker; 2 Senators from the Senate Appropriations Committee appointed by the Vice President; 2 House members from the House Appropriations Committee appointed by the Speaker; and 6 people chosen by the President. If some members are not named within 180 days after the first session of a Congress starts, specified subcommittee chair and ranking members serve temporarily until that Congress’s second session ends. The Board picks a Chair every two years from its members, alternating between a House Member and a Senator, and no one can serve two terms in a row. Members of Congress serve for that Congress. Presidential appointees serve 3 years and stay until a successor is named. Vacancies are filled by the official who made the original appointment. The Commandant must invite each Board member to visit the Academy at least once a year and must give Board members reasonable access to the grounds, cadets, faculty, staff, and facilities. With the Secretary’s approval, the Board may make extra visits or consult with Academy leaders. The Board must review morale and discipline (including prevention, response, and recovery from sexual assault and harassment), recruitment and retention (including diversity and issues involving women), curriculum and instruction, equipment and facilities (including living quarters and deferred maintenance), fiscal matters, and any other Academy issues it finds relevant. The Board must meet at least once a year; a federal officer designated by the Commandant will help organize meetings, pick the Chair, and set a charter and meeting schedule. Committee leaders may each designate one staff member to attend. The Commandant, in consultation with the Board, must send a report within 60 days after each meeting to the Secretary and the named congressional committees, and the report must be posted on the Coast Guard’s public website. The Commandant and Superintendent must provide full information as allowed by law, the Coast Guard must support the Board and name a federal officer to assist, and members and approved advisors are reimbursed for actual expenses as law allows. The Commandant must notify the listed committee leaders and the President about these requirements within 30 days after the first session of each Congress convenes.